Bridge-gate



(.No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1. I'. HACK.

BRIDGE GATE. No. 332,077. PatentedD'ec. 8, 1885.

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(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. F. HACK. Y BRIDGE GATE.

No. 332,077. Patented Deo. 8,1885.

N. PETERS. Phum-Luhogmphw, wuhingwn. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND HACK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BRIDGE-GATE.

SFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 332,077, dated December 8l 1885,

Application led February 2, 1885. Serial No. 154,777.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND HAoK, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois,

have invented certain new and vuseful Improvements in Bridge-Gates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in bridge-gates especially designed for pivotbridges automatically-actuating the gate to close it when the bridge opens, and open the gate when the bridge closes.-

The objects of this invention are to have the gate open and close by a vertical movement, and when closed to constitute a portion of the sidewalk and road approach to the bridge,and to have such a gate automatically closed, and maintained in that position by the closing of the bridge operating against the force of weights tending to open the gates. Further objects are to utilize the double inclined abutment-block of a pivotbridge as a means for connecting the bridge with and actuating the gate to close it, and to have such connections between the bridge and gate that the gate will be closed at substantially the moment the bridge begins to open, and the gate not opened until the bridge is substantially closed. A further object is to avoid the employment of gear and ratchet mechanism, and the consequent liability of the parts actuating the gate to become clogged with dirt, requiring an increase of power to actuate the gate and involving a liability of breaking and unfitting the connections for use. I attain these objects by devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l represents a side elevation of my gate and its actuating devices held in an open y position by the bridge, dotted lines indicating the position of the side lever connections and weights when the gate is open; Fig. 2, a front elevation of the same with the bridge removed, dotted lines indicating the position of the levers and gate when the latter is closed; Fig. 3, a central longitudinal section through the bridge approach; Fig. 4, a front elevation showing another form of my invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawlngs.

The gate A is preferably composed of top (No model.)

bar, a, and bottom bar, b, connected by slats, but in any case, whether open or solid, it should'have slots cfor the free passage of the `ordinary sills,d,of the bridge approach,which at the same time serve to steady the gate in its up and down movement, though to attain this object in a more effective degree rods e e may extend vertically through thcgate and be secured at their upper ends in a hand rail or projection, ff, (see Fig. 4,) secured thereon, and at their lower end these rods may be securedin some rigid portion ofthe superstructure of the abutment.

For the purpose of automatically closingthat is to say, elevating-the gate a pulley, e', secured to some fixed portion ot' the bridge approach above the bottom of the gate when in an elevated condition-as, for instance, the hand-rail (see Fig. 3) and a cord, e2, secured to the gate and passing over the pulley, and having on its end a weight, c, may be employed.

rIhe upper portion or top rail of the gate, when closed, is constructed so as to form and constitute a part of the flooring of the bridge approach, and the height of the gate is sutiicient to render it an effective guard. In this connection it may be observed that for ordinary purposes all that portion of the gate below the top rail or bar may be omitted without an essential departure from myinvention.

Pivoted on each end of the gate-top rail, and preferably outside of the hand-rail, are levers B, to the upwardly-projecting ends of which are pivoted one end of levers C, pivoted to- Ward their rear end to the hand-rail, and having on their extremities weights D, which are auxiliary to the Weights d in opening the gate. To this lever, forward of its rear pivot, is pivoted a lever, E, which in turn is pivoted near the forward end of a lever, F, the rear end of which is pivoted to a standard at a point in a plane below the rear pivot of the lever C. Lever F is connected by a link, G, to a lever, H, which is pivoted at a point intermediate its ends to a sill, H', supported on standards H2, rising above the abutment, the sill H being in a plane below the flooring of the bridge approach. The inner ends of levers II are pivoted in elongated slots in the ends of levers I, which about their centers of length are pivoted to the sill H', and at their inner ends IOO these levers I are pivoted to the double-in.- clined abutment-block J, which in Ordinary bridge structures is stationary and xed on the abutment, to take up the sag of the bridge, but in the present instance is suspended by the levers I, the sag of the bridge being principally taken up by rollers K, beyond each en'd v between the abutment-block and the gate there is a certainty of operation of the gate, and

that it will close the moment the bridge begins to open and not open until the bridge is oompletely closed. This will be better understood when it is remembered that the entire length of the abutmeut-block need not be more than about two feet, and that it is not engaged by the bridge directly, but by a similar block, L, (see Fig. 1,) secured on the under side of and at the middle portion of the end of the bridge, y

with its inclined sides projecting downwardly.

Instead of employing the side levers, B, C, E, and F, and weights D, these may be dispensed and, as shown in Fig. 4, the levers H be connected by a link, M, directly with thel top'bar or rail of the gate, weights d of course being employed to automatically close the gate when the abutment-block is released from the bridge.

So far as I am' aware an abutment-block yielding independently of the gate, by means of which and a lever-connection a gate is automatically opened by the bridge, is new, and

I therefore do not limit myself tothe special connections shown and described'between the block andthe gate, for it may be used in connection with other forms of levers or gear and rack devices without a substantial departure from these special features of my invenftion, whereby I am enabled to utilize this block when not forming a part of the gate, and thereby secure the opening and closing of the gate at the special time above referred to.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

A1. A vertically-sliding gate, the yielding abutment'block separate from said gate,and a lever-connection between said4 gate and block, in combination with a weight connected with and overcoming the gravity of said gatefto.

elevateV it above the bridge approach, substantially as described.

2. The gate provided with the elongated slot c and a top rail constituting aportionl-of the bridge approach when the bridge is closed,

in combination with the abutment-block, then levers H and I, pivoted thereto and to -each other, and a link-connection between saidlevers and the gate, substantially as described.

3. The combination'of the bridge approach having its door slotted at a `point removed from its end, the vertical-sliding gatemoving in saidslot, and when-lowered forming'afpar-t `ofsaid floor, the yielding abutment-block separate from said gate, a yielding connection between the gate and block, connected withthe gate and overcoming the gravity thereofto elevate it above the bridge approachlor floor,

as and for the purpose set forth.

A FERDINAND HACK.

Vitn esses:

J oHN G. ELLIOTT, WV. W. ELLIOTT.v 

